There are many makes and models of tyre available on the market now for track day regulars and enthusiasts, these can range from the fast road tyre to full on road legal slicks.
A new name has been popping up regularly on track forums recently and that name is Zestino, so I decided to grab a full set and see what they are about.
The tyres that I will be testing are the Zestino Gredge 07RS in 245/35ZR19 and are the soft compound with a *140TW rating. All comments and opinions below are mine and based on real life testing.
Tyre layout and Features
Centre Straight Groove Two wide centre grooves ensure efficient channelling of water for improved traction in wet conditions. A rigid centre rib provides a constant contact patch, allowing for improved traction and stability under acceleration.
Variable Wing Groove Two variations of wing grooves are placed along the outer tread with different lengths and angle. The longer groove assists in channelling and dispersing water out of the shoulder while allowing for improved cornering performance. The shorter groove provides directional stability.
Lightning Groove The Lightning groove combined with the variable wing grooves allow for improved lateral traction for maximum side bite.
Side Dimple Side dimples allow drivers to check the degree of wear and the effective contact patch area at a glance.
Compounds
The Zestino Gredge is available in Soft, Medium and Hard Compounds (dependant on Tyre size).
Performance
Having run a variety of tyres on the Nordschleife, from UHP road tyres up to one of the market leaders the Nankang AR-1 the Zestino has some stiff competition. The initial feel on the first corners is quite different to tyres that I have run recently and I found that they not only need a little time to bed in but also to warm up and give their full grip.
The initial turn in feeling is not as confidence inspiring as the AR-1 and until you get used to them you do feel a little hesitant on high-speed corners, it is almost a tread block movement type feeling to them until they are up to temperature. They do not snap or break away unexpectedly though, they have a nice gradual feel to the grip as you reach the limits.
I also found that they where quite heat sensitive, the Megane is not a light car at around 1400kgs and after contacting Zestino they recommend a Hot temperature range for a car of this weight as 1.9 to 2.7 bar (28 to 39psi). I ended up running at a consistent 2.5bar as that in my opinion have the best feedback and grip on this car.
If I had to compare them to a known tyre I would say their performance level is above the AD08R and the Eagle F1 Supersports, but not quite at the levels of the Michelin pilot Sport 4’s and quite some way off of the AR-1.
Wear
So far I have completed 10 laps on them and there is very little wear, this has also been done in quite high track and air temperatures. There are no visible signs of issues on the tyres or sidewalls at all. With a TW rating significantly higher than the AR-1 (140 compared to 80) I would imagine I will be getting much better track life from these.
Cost
Now this is where it gets interesting, The Zestino Gredge 07RS is one of the most affordable track tyres on the market. If we have a compare of some similar tyres in the market we can see how much you can save.
**All prices correct at the time of writing from Demon Tweeks**: AR-1 costs €277.13
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 Costs €256.80
Advan AD08RS Costs €232.34
Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport Costs 232.88
Zestino Gredge 07RS Costs €180.78
Now bearing in mind that in my opinion of the list above the Zestino is the 3rd best tyre there, the costs are quite astonishing. Compared to the AR1 you are saving nearly €100 per tyre and for me at the end of a TF lap there are no trophies or prizes a saving of €400 a set is much better that being just a few seconds faster on a lap that I never time.
Final thoughts
If you are looking for a high performance tyre that has a decent wear rate and performs very well against its better known counterparts then the Zestino is very much worth a try, yes it will never be as good as an AR-1 but it isn’t trying to be.
Would I buy them again? definitely yes! Company Website https://zestinotyre.com/
Tyre Size List https://zestinotyre.com/gredge-07r-07rs.html